Air compressor assembly having a condensate management system

ABSTRACT

An air compressor assembly including a condensate management system that removes condensate from an air storage tank. Condensate inside the storage tank descends to the lowest point in the tank, where a single port is located. The port can serve as both an inlet for compressed air to the storage tank and an outlet of compressed air from the storage tank. The condensate is drawn from the storage tank to the manifold assembly through an air conduit and out of the air compressor assembly through a connected tool when the tool is activated.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

The present application claims priority under 35 U.S.C. §119(e) to U.S.Provisional Application No. 62/080,445 entitled: Air Compressor AssemblyHaving a Condensation Management System filed Nov. 17, 2014, which ishereby incorporated by reference in their entirety.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention generally relates to the field of air compressorsand particularly to a condensate management system for use with an aircompressor assembly.

2. Description of the Related Art

To meet instantaneous air flow demand, it is a common design practice toinclude a compressed air reservoir in the form of an air storage tank orother pressure vessel. The tank, usually with an output regulator, canhold a quantity of compressed air to meet peak demands from servicedloads, while allowing the use of a smaller and lighter compressor thatcharges the tank and is capable of meeting the average compressed airflow rate for the intended use.

Air compressor assemblies typically include an air compressor, having amotor driven pump assembly, mounted to a compressed air storage tank, amanifold assembly in fluid connection with the pump assembly, and apressure switch assembly. This configuration allows for the operation ofan air-powered tool from the reservoir of compressed air stored in thecompressed air storage tank. When the supply of compressed air in thecompressed air storage tank becomes depleted by the operation of theair-powered tool, the air compressor may be operated for repressurizingthe compressed air storage tank. In this manner, air compressorassemblies are further used to provide compressed air for operatingair-powered tools.

Traditional air compressors pump compressed air into the tank through aninlet hose, then to a manifold and out to a connected tool through aseparate outlet hose. During the utilization of a compressed air tank,it is common for water and other liquids to condense from the air insidethe air tank as a consequence of the pressure and temperaturedifferences inside the tank and outside the tank. For example, due tothe heat generated by the pump during compression of the air and thesubsequent cooling of air in the tank, a condensate can accumulatewithin the tank body. A primary source of the condensate is water vapornaturally occurring in the supply of air. The condensate can cause rustto develop within the tank resulting in reduced efficiency of thecompressor assembly. Air storage tanks, therefore, have a separate drainvalve for draining a condensate or water from the tank. In order toremove the condensate, the operator manually opens the drain valve,allowing the water to exit from the tank.

Water and other liquids that may accumulate inside the air tank mayalternatively be removed through the installation of a condensateremoval device. Conventionally, a condensate removal device is placed inproximity to a low point of a compressed air tank within an aircompressor assembly to remove condensate that may form within acompressed air tank. Typically, condensate removal devices known to theart are valves that may be opened and closed easily yet are capable ofmaintaining a constant pressure inside the air tank.

Since compressed air tanks tend to be large and heavy, they may not beeasily transported. As a result, typical mobile compressed air tanks maybe fitted to a frame comprising wheels and handlebars. This allows aperson or persons to lift the compressed air tank and pull or push it toa desired location. While traveling on a smooth surface, the designworks well. However, in many construction sites, movement to a remotelocation over an uneven and unpaved surface may be necessary. A frequentproblem that occurs while moving the compressed air tank to a remotelocation is that the drain valve for removing condensate from an airtank may be damaged during transport to a remote location. Foreignobjects tend to come into contact with the valve during transportcausing damage to the valve. Another problem is that compressed airtanks may be moved during the day and typically are placed upon the bedof a pickup truck in order to transport the compressed air tank toanother worksite. Since typical compressed air tanks are heavy, it isnot easy for persons to use care and caution when placing the compressedair tanks onto the bed of a pickup truck. Thus, the compressed air tankmay be lifted and pushed onto the bed in a quick manner. Often, otheritems located on the bed of the truck may come into contact with thedrain valve damaging the valve when the compressed air tank is placedupon the bed of a pickup truck. Upon damage to the drain valve, thecompressed air tank becomes non-functional.

As such, there is a need for an air compressor assembly that does notrequire a drain valve or the additional maintenance and care of drainingthe air storage tank. Specifically, it would be advantageous to have anair compressor assembly in which the condensate drains from the tankautomatically, so that the operator would no longer need to manuallydrain water from the air storage tank. In addition, there is a need toreduce the number of holes in an air storage tank, which would improvethe structural integrity of the tank.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The air compressor assembly of the embodiments described herein isdesigned to pump compressed air through a regulating manifold assemblyand to a connected tool. If the operator does not use all of the airflowing into the manifold assembly, the excess compressed air will flowinto the storage tank for later use. However, the longer the compressedair stays in the storage tank, the more likely condensation is to occur.As such, the air compressor assembly of the present invention includes acondensate management system that provides at least one storage tankhaving a single port at the bottom of the storage tank body that isconnected to a single air hose that allows entry and exit of thecompressed air to and from the air storage tank. Condensate accumulatedin the storage tank during operation of the pump assembly flows to thebottom of the storage tank. Through gravity, the condensate flows out ofthe storage tank body into the air hose. As a result, the air compressorassembly of the embodiments described herein allows condensate removalthrough the air pressure hose, thereby eliminating the need for a drainvalve and a separate second air inlet in the storage tank. In addition,as a drain valve and separate air inlet are no longer necessary, thecondensate management system also results in a reduction inmanufacturing costs.

Accordingly, in an embodiment, the present invention is directed to acompressor assembly including a pump assembly of an air compressor, amanifold assembly, and an air storage tank of an air compressor. Thepresent invention includes a condensate management system between thepump assembly, manifold assembly and air storage tank that directscondensate out of the compressor assembly.

In an embodiment, an air compressor assembly includes at least onestorage tank configured to store compressed air; an air compressor thatincludes a pump assembly configured to supply the compressed air to theat least one storage tank and a motor configured to drive the pumpassembly. A manifold assembly includes an inlet for receiving thecompressed air from the pump assembly. A tank pressure gauge isconfigured to display a pressure of the compressed air entering themanifold assembly and a pressure regulator is configured to regulate apressure of the compressed air being output from the manifold assembly.An outlet, such as a tool connect member, is provided at one end of themanifold assembly to deliver an output of the compressed air to aconnected tool. An air conduit, such as a hose, is connected between themanifold assembly and the at least one storage tank to deliver thecompressed air and a condensate from the at least one storage tank tothe manifold assembly. A port is disposed in the at least one storagetank. The port admits the compressed air into, and releases thecompressed air and the condensate from, the at least one storage tank tothe air conduit and the manifold assembly. The port thereby serves asboth an inlet port and an outlet port for compressed air.

The air compressor assembly can have a housing that encases the at leastone storage tank, the pump assembly, and the motor. The housing can atleast partially encase the manifold assembly. The housing can have ahandle to assist in transporting the air compressor assembly.

A second storage tank can be added to the air compressor assembly inorder to store additional compressed air.

The port can be integral with the at least one storage tank and bevalve-free.

The port serves as a condensate management system and can be arrangedbetween a lower portion of the at least one storage tank and themanifold assembly. The condensate management system provides for theremoval of a condensate from the air storage tank and the entire aircompressor assembly.

In another embodiment, a condensate management system is provided forremoving a condensate from a compressed air storage tank of the aircompressor assembly. The condensate management system includes an airstorage tank having a condensate removal member disposed below a planepassing through a horizontal center portion of the air storage tank; andan air conduit connected to a valve-free condensate removal member. Thevalve-free condensate removal member includes an outlet port in a bottomof the air storage tank.

It is to be understood that both the foregoing general description andthe following detailed description are exemplary and explanatory onlyand are not necessarily restrictive of the invention as claimed. Theaccompanying drawings, which are incorporated in and constitute a partof the specification, illustrate embodiments of the invention andtogether with the general description, serve to explain the principlesof the invention.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The numerous advantages of the present invention may be betterunderstood by those skilled in the art by reference to the accompanyingFigures. In the Figures, like reference numerals designate correspondingparts throughout the several views.

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an embodiment of an air compressorassembly housing having the condensate management system in accordancewith an embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is an internal rear perspective view of the air compressorassembly within the housing, in accordance with an embodiment of thepresent invention;

FIG. 3 illustrates the pump assembly and condensate management system ofthe air compressor assembly in accordance with an embodiment of thepresent invention;

FIG. 4 illustrates the manifold assembly and condensate managementsystem of the air compressor assembly in accordance with an embodimentof the present invention;

FIG. 5 is a left side view of the air compressor assembly in accordancewith an embodiment of the present invention; and

FIG. 6 is a right side view of the air compressor assembly in accordancewith an embodiment of the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

Reference will now be made in detail to the presently preferredembodiments of the invention, examples of which are illustrated in theaccompanying drawings.

Referring generally to FIGS. 1-6, exemplary embodiments of the presentinvention are shown.

Briefly, as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the air compressor assembly 10includes a housing 12 that encases a compressor or pump assembly 14,which is operable for intaking and compressing ambient air, a powersource, such as an engine or electric motor 16, for providing power tothe pump assembly. The motor 16 may be of any known type, such as aninduction motor or a universal motor and, in the example provided,includes a power cord 28 that permits the motor 16 to be coupled to asource of alternating current power, such as a conventional outlet. Apressure vessel, such as a storage tank 18 is coupled to a manifoldassembly 20, and a pressure switch assembly 22 is operatively connectedto the manifold assembly. The compressed air that exits the pumpassembly 14 is discharged through the manifold assembly 20 and deliveredto a tool connect member 24 for powering air-powered tools. Excesscompressed air is delivered to the storage tank 18, which serves as areservoir for the compressed air. The excess compressed air is deliveredto the storage tank 18 through a port 19, which can serve as an inletport. The port 19 can be a tubular member attached to or integrallyformed with the storage tank. Compressed air can be drawn from thestorage tank 18 through the same port 19, in this capacity, serving asan outlet port. Any condensate within the storage tank 18 is drawn outwith the compressed air, allowing the port 19 to also serve as acondensate removal member.

A conduit is connected between the port 19 of the storage tank and aninlet of the manifold assembly 20. The conduit is used to deliver thecompressed air and condensate from the storage tank 18 to the manifoldassembly.

The manifold assembly 20 is operatively fitted to the storage tank 18allowing compressed air to be drawn from storage tank, as needed, forinflating sports or recreation equipment, or for emergency uses such asinflating vehicle tires or powering air powered tools. Air-powered toolsinclude, but are not limited to pneumatic fasteners or nailers, impactwrenches, ratchet wrenches, sprayers, grinders, socket driving tools,material shaping tools, sanding tools, spray painting tools, inflationchucks, and the like. Herein the term “tool” is used to designate anair-powered or pneumatic tool, or inflatable member.

The motor 16 includes a fan 17 that can be coupled to the output shaft(not shown) of the motor 16. The fan 17 can circulate cooling air overthe motor 16 and the pump assembly 14 by drawing ambient air into thehousing 12. Ambient air enters the housing 12 through louvered openings25 in front of the motor fan 17. The housing 12 includes a handle 26 tofacilitate portability of the air compressor assembly 10. The housingcan be made from any material including, but not limited to plastic orother resinous material.

As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the pump assembly 14, driven by the electricmotor 16, is configured to supply compressed air through the manifoldassembly 20 to the tool connect member 24 and any connected tool orpressurized air member. Alternatively, the pump assembly 14 can beconfigured to supply compressed air only through the manifold assembly20 to the storage tank 18, instead of directly to the air storage tank.As shown in FIG. 2, the pump assembly 14 can have a pump cylinder 30, acylinder head 32, a valve plate assembly 34 mounted between the pumpcylinder 30 and the cylinder head 32, and a piston (not shown) which isreciprocated in the pump cylinder 30 by an eccentric drive 36. Theeccentric drive 36 can include a sprocket 38 which can drive a drivebelt 40 which can drive a pulley 42. A bearing 44 can be eccentricallysecured to the pulley 42 by a rod bolt or a screw 46, and to aconnecting rod 48. Preferably, the sprocket 38 and the pulley 42 can bespaced around their perimeters and the drive belt 40 can be a timingbelt. The pulley 42 can be linked to the sprocket 38 by the drive belt40. As the pulley 42 rotates about its axis, the bearing 44 and anattached end of the connecting rod 48 are moved around a circular path.

The ambient air 100 can be compressed in the pump cylinder 30 by thepiston. The cylinder head 32 defines an inlet for the ambient air, andan outlet 50 for the compressed air 102. Compressed air 102 can exit thecylinder head 32 via the compressed air outlet 50 and can flow through afirst pressure hose 52 to enter the storage tank and flow through asecond pressure hose 54 to enter the manifold assembly 20. Heatgenerated by the pump assembly 14, and in particular, the heat from thecylinder head 32, can be exhausted through louvered openings 33 in thehousing 12, adjacent to the cylinder head.

The pump assembly 14 is connected to the pressure switch 22, that can belocated in a gauge header 82 (see FIG. 4) that supports the manifoldassembly 20. Preferably, the pump assembly 14 is connected to themanifold assembly 20 and the pressure switch 22 via a one-way valve,such as a check valve 56, or the like. The check valve 56 ensures thatthe air from the storage tank 18 does not leak out toward the pumpassembly 14. The pressure switch 22 operates the pump assembly 14 forsupplying compressed air to a connected tool.

Excess compressed air, as determined by the pressure switch 22, isdelivered to the storage tank 18. When the storage tank 18 has beenfully pressurized (i.e., when the compressed air capacity has beenreached), the pressure switch 22 operates to stop the pump assembly 14from supplying compressed air to the storage tank 18, thereby preventingoverpressurization of the storage tank. Specifically, the pressureswitch 22 regulates pressure within the storage tank 18 by alternatelystarting and stopping the pump assembly 14 to supply compressed air. Inone embodiment, the pressure switch 22 is coupled with the pump assembly14 for electrically actuating the pump assembly. The pressure switch 22causes the pump assembly to operate until the compressed air storagetank is full. When the storage tank is full, the air pressure in thetank will be sensed by sensors (not shown) within the pressure switch 22that open sensor contacts to stop the motor 16, and trigger the pressureswitch to turn off. When the pressure switch 22 is turned off, air is nolonger pumped into the storage tank 18. In this manner, the pressure ofthe compressed air in the storage tank 18 is maintained within a rangegenerally suitable for powering one or more air powered tools.

The stored air is available for use when a connected tool is turned onso that the air leaves the storage tank and flows out of the aircompressor assembly though the tool connect member 24 of the manifoldassembly 20.

The manifold assembly 20 may also include a safety pressure relief valve58 for relieving pressure within the manifold assembly 20 and thestorage tank 18. In accordance with an exemplary embodiment, thepressure relief valve 58 may be opened by a operator by pulling outwardon an enlarged ring 60 having a tab or “fob” 62 attached thereto.Preferably, the ring 60 and fob 62 are sized to be easily gripped by theoperator of the air compressor 10 to open the safety pressure reliefvalve 58.

In an embodiment of the present invention, as illustrated in FIGS. 2-6,the air compressor assembly 10 includes a plurality of air conduits orhoses for delivering compressed air throughout the assembly. The airconduits include a first pressure hose 52 disposed between the pumpassembly 14 and the storage tank 18, and a second pressure hose 54disposed between the storage tank and the manifold assembly 20.

As shown in FIG. 3, the pump assembly 14 is operatively connected to themanifold assembly 20 through the first pressure hose 52 and a secondpressure hose 54. The first pressure hose 52 delivers compressed airfrom the pump assembly 14. A first end 66 of the first pressure hose 52is connected to the outlet port 50 of the cylinder head 32 and a secondend 68 of the first pressure hose is connected to an inlet port 70 of anadaptor assembly connector, such as a splitter valve 72. The splittervalve 72 can direct the compressed air into at least two directions. Forexample, the splitter valve 72 can direct one stream of compressed airto enter the second pressure hose 54 and direct another stream ofcompressed air to enter the storage tank 18. The second pressure hose 54has a first end 74 that is connected to an outlet port 76 of thesplitter valve 72 and a second end 78 that is connected to an inlet port80 in the gauge header 82 of the manifold assembly 20.

The pressure hoses 52, 54 include hose couplings that attach the hosesto the splitter valve inlet port 70 and outlet port 76, and to themanifold assembly inlet port 80. In an embodiment of the presentinvention, the second pressure hose 54 can also have a threaded couplingthat can be screwed onto the port 19 of the storage tank 18, that mayalso be threaded. A hose clamp 68, as shown in FIGS. 3 and 5 can furthersecure the second pressure hose 54 and the coupling to the storage tank18.

Compressed air can be drawn from the storage tank 18 through themanifold assembly 20 to a connected tool. Compressed air that enters thestorage tank 18 can include excess air that cannot immediately be usedby a connected tool, but can be drawn out for later use. As such, thesecond pressure hose 54 can be arranged delivering compressed air fromthe pump assembly 14 and/or the storage tank 18 to the manifold assembly20 and to a connected tool. In this arrangement, the second pressurehose 54 serves as a drain for delivering air and any liquid condensatefrom the storage tank 18 through the same compressed air inlet port inthe storage tank. In operation, compressed air is supplied from the pumpassembly 14 through the first pressure hose 52 to the splitter valve 72.The splitter valve 72 is connected to the tank port 19. The splittervalve 72 is also connected to the manifold assembly 20 by the firstpressure hose 54. When the pump assembly 14 is operating, compressed airis pumped through the first pressure hose, through the manifold assembly20, and out of the tool connect member 24 to the connected tool. If theconnected tool requires less compressed air than is being created by thepump assembly 14, or the connected tool is not being used, compressedair will also pass from the splitter valve 72 through the port 19 andinto the storage tank 18 until the pressure reaches the limit of thepressure switch 22 and the motor 16 stops. When compressed air isrequired again, the compressed air will flow out of the storage tank 18through the port 19, through the splitter valve 72 and out of the port74 and into the hose 54, leading to the manifold assembly 20 and thetool connect member 24. As compressed air flows out of the storage tank18, any moisture that condensed while the compressor was cooling willalso flow or drain out.

In an alternate embodiment of the present invention, a first pressurehose can be configured to directly deliver compressed air from the pumpassembly 14 to the manifold assembly 20, and a second pressure hose canbe configured to deliver compressed air from the manifold assembly tothe storage tank 18. Likewise, in this arrangement, the second pressurehose can serve as both a feed for delivering air to the storage tank anda drain for delivering air and any liquid condensate from the storagetank through a same port in the storage tank.

Although a hose is disclosed, an air conduit of any material forconveying a gas or air, such as a metal pipe, can be used.

Referring to FIG. 4, the manifold assembly 20 can include a tankpressure gauge 90 and a pressure regulator or pressure adjustment knob92. The tank pressure gauge 90 displays the pressure of the compressedair in the storage tank and the pressure regulator/pressure adjustmentknob 92 adjusts and displays the pressures delivered by the aircompressor 10 through the tool connect member 24 to a connected tool.The pressure regulator/adjustment knob 92 controls an internal regulator(not shown) that is set within an output pressure guide. The knob 92 isrotatable to a position that corresponds to the desired air outputpressure to a connected tool. The desired air output pressure guide canbe located on the face of the air compressor to be readable by theoperator. Alternatively, the manifold assembly 20 can include a tankpressure gauge 90 and a separate regulator gauge.

The tank pressure gauge 90 and the regulator gauge may be configured tomonitor and provide readings on storage tank pressure and manifoldassembly outlet pressure, respectively. It is contemplated that thegauges 90, 92 may provide a variety of readouts, such as needle, digitalreadouts, plasma readouts, and the like. As shown, the pressureregulator/adjustment knob 92 has a dial or like control for selectingthe pressure of air to be delivered by the air compressor assembly 10 toa connected tool. Those of skill in the art will appreciate that otherdials and controls, such as a depression switch, digital controller, andthe like may be provided for regulating the pressure of air delivered bythe air compressor assembly and/or the pressure of the air in thecompressed air storage tank.

As illustrated in FIG. 4, for example, the tank pressure gauge 90,pressure regulator/adjustment knob 92 and tool connect member 24 arecoupled to the gauge header 82. The tool connect member is located atone end of the gauge header 82. Alternatively, the manifold assemblyinlet port 80 can be located at one end of the manifold assembly 20 andthe tool connect member 24 can be located at an axially opposite end ofthe gauge header 82 and provide a means for connecting a tool.

The pressure regulator/adjustment knob 92 is connected to the tankpressure gauge 90 and the second pressure hose 54 for deliveringcompressed air to the connected tool. The manifold assembly 20 includesan adapter assembly 84 providing for the functional coupling of thefirst and second pressure hoses, with the air compressor. In anembodiment, the adapter assembly 84 can include a connector member forcoupling each of the first and second pressure hoses 52, 54 and the tankassembly with the splitter 72 and the gauge header 82 of the manifoldassembly 20, respectively. It is contemplated that the adapter assembly84 may comprise a variety of fastening assemblies, such as a threadedfastener, a compression fastener, and the like, without departing fromthe scope and spirit of the present invention.

As illustrated in the Figures, the air compressor assembly 10 can have asingle “pancake” shaped (i.e., a relatively short and large diametercylinder with convex ends) compressed air storage tank structure.However, it will be appreciated that other shaped tanks may be used forstoring compressed air, including but not limited to cylindrical tankshaving a horizontal orientation, and tanks having specialized shapes.Further, it should be noted that the air compressor assembly 10 mayinclude more than one compressed air storage tank, such as two airstorage tanks mounted top-to-bottom or side-by-side, or the like. Theuse of air storage tanks having configurations other than thosespecifically illustrated herein is well known in the art. Consequently,the substitution of such tanks in place of the compressed air storagetanks specifically illustrated in the Figures does not depart from thescope and intent of the present invention.

The storage tank 18 is appropriately sized for containment within theair compressor assembly housing 12, while providing a minimum volume tokeep the pressure switch operating to supply compressed air from thepump assembly 14. In an embodiment of the present invention, the storagetank 18 can have a maximum capacity of about 1 gallon, 2 gallons, 5gallons, 10 gallons or more. Those skilled in the art will understandthat the storage tank may be configured somewhat differently, as with aconventional cylindrical style (not shown) or with a plurality of tankstructures that are coupled in fluid connection.

In the air compressor assembly 10 of an embodiment of the presentinvention, the storage tank 18 is provided to reserve a predeterminedamount of compressed air sufficient to trigger the pressure switch 22 toturn the pump assembly 14 off. As the source of the predetermined amountof compressed air is ambient air which includes water vapor, uponpressurization, additional water vapor is introduced. Further,condensation occurs when heated gas cools, such as when the gas isexposed to a lower temperature, such as in the storage tank.

In an exemplary embodiment, when an air storage tank holds a smallamount of air, such as, for example, one gallon or less, and a connectedtool is drawing air from the air compressor assembly, the stored air isused quickly and exhausted before being heated by additional compressedair from the pump assembly, or before cooling down as a result of theair remaining in the storage tank. In operation, the compressed air isnot given time to significantly heat up or cool down therefore, thecondensate does not have an opportunity to accumulate. Due to the smallsize of the storage tank, the condensate is continually forced or blownout of the air compressor assembly by being drawn out to a connectedtool. If compressed air remains in the storage tank, the amount ofcondensate is insignificant, such that when operation resumes, thecondensate is blown out of the air compressor assembly by being drawnout to a connected tool.

In order to facilitate the draining of the condensate from the storagetank 18, the tank is suspended within the air compressor assemblyhousing 12, as shown in FIG. 2, for example. Gravity causes thecondensate to flow to the bottom of the storage tank and to the port 19.In an embodiment, the port 19 can be located on the bottom centerportion of the storage tank 18. The condensate is forced out of thestorage tank through the second pressure hose 54, when the connectedtool is activated. When the pressure regulator/adjustment knob 92 isrotated to its open and predetermined position, at a set pointcontrolled by a spring-loaded piston (not shown), to maintain thedesired pressure, a connected tool draws the compressed air from thestorage tank. The force of the compressed air pushes the condensatethrough the manifold assembly 20 and out of the air compressor assembly10. With the storage tank port 19 at the bottom center of the storagetank 18, the tank does not have to be tilted or manipulated in order todrain the condensate. Moreover, the port 19 is valve-free allowing thecondensate to be readily removable, without operator intervention bypowering ON on the air compressor assembly 10 and activating theconnected tool.

The amount of air drawn from the storage tank 18 is controlled by theregulator/pressure adjustment knob 92. It is commonly the case, withtypical air compressor assemblies, that the storage tank must comprisemultiple ports and an inlet port must be physically separated from theoutlet port in order to prevent the quick turn of air from inlet tooutlet. With the port 19 serving as both the feed and drain hose, thestorage tank 18 need only use a single port to accomplish bothcompressed air inlet and outlet.

An ON/OFF power switch 88 controls operation of the air compressor. Asshown in FIG. 1, the ON/OFF switch 88 is illustrated as mounted on theair compressor housing, for example, and is operationally coupled withthe pressure switch assembly. The ON/OFF switch 88 is located remotelyfrom the pressure switch of the pressure switch assembly 22. The abilityto remotely locate the ON/OFF switch 88 provides greater flexibility tothe operator for access to the switch for turning the compressor on andoff and increases the ease of use of the air compressor 10. It iscontemplated that the ON/OFF switch 88 may be lighted to show when acircuit providing electricity to the pressure switch is complete.

For example, when the ON/OFF switch 88 is lit the operator knows thatthe pressure switch 22 is monitoring the pressure within the storagetank so that when the pressure passes a threshold value the pressureswitch will activate or de-activate the pump assembly as indicated bythe threshold value. In operation, the air compressor may have 200 PSIof air within the storage tank 18 and through use of the air compressor,the air pressure may drop to 150 PSI. The pressure switch 22 may have athreshold value of 175 PSI, whereupon the pressure switch activates thepump assembly when pressure within the storage tank drops below 175 PSI.When the ON/OFF switch 88 is not lit, the operator knows that thepressure switch 22 is not monitoring the air pressure within the storagetank, thus, by the present example, the air pressure would continue todrop below the 175 PSI value, if the pump assembly 14 is not activatedto increase the pressure. It is further contemplated that the ON/OFFswitch 88 may include a protective covering, such as a plastic boot forextreme environment operation. The ON/OFF switch 88 may be enabled as atwo-position switch. However, it is contemplated that a variety ofswitch assemblies may be employed with the present invention.

The arrangement of the pump assembly 14, manifold assembly 20, andstorage tank 18 works together to force water out of the air compressorassembly 10. If compressed air does condensate inside the storage tank,gravity forces the condensate to descend to the bottom of the tank. Atthe bottom of the storage tank, the port 19 receives the condensate andallows it to flow to the connected air conduit such that, at the initialnext operation of the air compressor, the compressed air drawn from thetank forces the condensate out of the tank and through the air conduitto the manifold assembly.

While aspects of the present invention are described herein andillustrated in the accompanying drawings in the context of an aircompressor, those of ordinary skill in the art will appreciate that theinvention, in its broadest aspects, has further applicability.

It will be appreciated that the above description is merely exemplary innature and is not intended to limit the present disclosure, itsapplication or uses. While specific examples have been described in thespecification and illustrated in the drawings, it will be understood bythose of ordinary skill in the art that various changes may be made andequivalents may be substituted for elements thereof without departingfrom the scope of the present disclosure as defined in the claims.Furthermore, the mixing and matching of features, elements and/orfunctions between various examples is expressly contemplated herein,even if not specifically shown or described, so that one of ordinaryskill in the art would appreciate from this disclosure that features,elements and/or functions of one example may be incorporated intoanother example as appropriate, unless described otherwise, above.Moreover, many modifications may be made to adapt a particular situationor material to the teachings of the present disclosure without departingfrom the essential scope thereof. Therefore, it is intended that thepresent disclosure not be limited to the particular examples illustratedby the drawings and described in the specification as the best modepresently contemplated for carrying out the teachings of the presentdisclosure, but that the scope of the present disclosure will includeany embodiments falling within the foregoing description and theappended claims.

We claim:
 1. An air compressor assembly comprising: at least one storagetank configured to store compressed air; an air compressor that includesa pump assembly configured to supply the compressed air to the at leastone storage tank and a motor configured to drive the pump assembly; amanifold assembly including an inlet for receiving the compressed airfrom the pump assembly, a tank pressure gauge configured to display apressure of the compressed air entering the manifold assembly, apressure regulator configured to regulate a pressure of the compressedair being output from the manifold assembly, and an outlet configured todeliver an output of the compressed air to a pneumatic tool; and an airconduit connected between the manifold assembly and the at least onestorage tank to deliver the compressed air and a condensate from the atleast one storage tank to the manifold assembly; and a port disposed inthe at least one storage tank, the port admitting the compressed airinto, and releasing the compressed air and the condensate from, the atleast one storage tank to the air conduit and the manifold assembly. 2.The air compressor assembly according to claim 1, further comprising ahousing encasing the at least one storage tank, the pump assembly, andthe motor and at least partially encasing the manifold assembly.
 3. Theair compressor assembly according to claim 1, further comprising asecond storage tank for storing additional compressed air.
 4. The aircompressor assembly according to claim 1, further comprising a handlecoupled to the housing to assist in transporting the air compressorassembly.
 5. The air compressor assembly according to claim 1, whereinthe air conduit comprises a hose.
 6. The air compressor assemblyaccording to claim 1, wherein the port is integral with the at least onestorage tank.
 7. The air compressor assembly according to claim 1,wherein the port is valve-free.
 8. The air compressor assembly accordingto claim 1, wherein the port is arranged between a lower portion of theat least one storage tank and the manifold assembly.
 9. A condensatemanagement system for removing a condensate from a compressed airstorage tank, the system comprising: an air storage tank having acondensate removal member disposed below a plane passing through ahorizontal center portion of the air storage tank; and an air conduitconnected to the condensate removal member.
 10. The condensatemanagement system according to claim 9, wherein the condensate removalmember is valve-free.
 11. The condensate management system according toclaim 9, wherein the condensate removal member comprises an outlet portin a bottom of the air storage tank.